The invention relates to a franking machine with a printing head fixed to a machine mainshaft, a drive for the machine mainshaft, in order to rotate the printing head for at least one printing cycle, typewheels mounted in rotary manner in the printing head for printing the value, an electromechanical drive for each of the typewheels for setting a desired franking value, mechanical locking means for securing the setting positions of control members of the electromechanical drive, sensors for supplying position signals of the locking means to a central electronic control unit for the control of the electromechanical drive and a control console with a keyboard for the random inputting of instructions to the control unit for setting the typewheels of the printing head and with a display for displaying the inputted instructions.
In a known franking machine of this type (U.S. Pat. No. 4,097,923), the instructions to an electronic control unit for setting the franking value are only inputted via a tens' keyboard and the setting of the inputted amount on the franking head takes place after operating an additional release key. However, it is necessary beforehand to determine the amount to be entered by means of a table of postal rates after weighing the envelope to be franked, account also having to be taken of its destination and dimensions.
In order to avoid reading a table for determining the necessary amount of the franking value, a balance has been proposed, which calculates the franking value by means of an incorporated computer, so that said value can be read from a display and is subsequently inputted via the keyboard of the separate franking machine. Such a balance with a postage rate computer is roughly as expensive as the franking machine, without reducing the operating costs during the inputting of the determined amount into the franking machine.